Austin Translation: Jack’s Mannequin @ SXSW

Couldn’t make it to South By Southwest? Not to worry — we’ve got reports from the frontlines of the year’s premiere music festival. Jack’s Mannequin lead singer Andrew McMahon fills us in.

How To Do It "Austin-Style"…We got in Wednesday at 5 pm and got right down to it, Austin-style — hitting the bar, eating food, having a good time. We rallied up the troops at Manuel’s. It’s our spot every year we come here.

The Best Way to Celebrate Beating CancerWe made our debut here in 2005. Every year it’s a little different. Last year I was recovering from being pretty sick, and we made a point of being here [Note: McMahon was diagnosed with leukemia in 2005]. It’s so positive to be back here — we’ve made so many friends touring. Every block you run into people who’ve been a part of your career.

The Bands You’ll Wait on Line ForThere’s a band called Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s– I’m trying to figure out which showcases they’re playing. I’m going to see Treaty of Paris who I signed to my new label, so I’ll be there to support them, and another band called the Graduate. I’ve heard rumor of a Tom Morello acoustic performance somewhere and I’m desperately trying to sort out where that’s going to be and be there.

Where’s the Best Barbecue?You would have to say Stubb’s. We got to headline Stubb’s, which was insane. So I’m going to go ahead and back Stubb’s barbecue — on the food and the live music tip.

This Ain’t No Plush Set-Up…It’s not a cushy festival. It’s not all dressing rooms and air conditioning. [But] it’s perfect — it’s like a tour stop that lasts four days. At the end of the day, our favorite thing to do is play music and have a good time with our friends. The cool thing is the bus doesn’t leave til Sunday.